Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation

Thermopolis, Wyoming

Hot Springs Day Camps 2008

August 7-9 2008, Hot Springs State Park, Thermopolis, Wyoming

Single page flier Brochure Registration form Activity release Instructors & presenters Hot Springs State Park Thermopolis

Today’s kids are more apt to know the names of video game characters than they are the names of trees or birds in their own yards – and that is just as true in Wyoming as it is New York, according to Eric Decker, Worland, coordinator, Big Horn Basin Resource, Conservation & Development Council. Decker is one of the instructors for the first kids’ outdoor day-camps, a new project in Thermopolis. This year’s day-camps will be held August 7-9 in Hot Springs State Park. “Our goal is to get kids outside and learning about their surroundings,” said Decker. Decker is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, and of the University of Wyoming where he majored in outdoor recreation and park administration. “We live in one of the most incredible areas of the continent,” he said. “Yet many kids here have never been hiking or camping. They don’t know about safe practices or how to survive in the outdoors. Other instructors for the day-camps include Dusty and Jacelyn Downey, Pine Haven, Wyoming Audubon’s Northeast Community Naturalists; Chris Jones, meteorologist, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Riverton; Susie Douglas, Cody, public affairs officer, Shoshone National Forest; and Jess Ryan, community naturalist at Audubon Center at Garden Creek, Casper. Hot Springs State Park staff members Deb Camp and John Fish will also conduct activities on the park’s geology, water and animals. A very special guest will be “Smokey the Bear,” courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service. “Many kids don’t know what to look for outdoors,” said Jacelyn Downey, who is coordinating this year’s activities. “They take one step outside and don’t see tigers eating a gazelle and think it’s boring. You have to show children what to look for in nature. They have to learn how to use their senses to explore outdoors.” The day-camps will be held in Hot Springs State Park, 9 a.m-5 p.m. They are sponsored by Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation, Hot Springs State Park, Wyoming Audubon and Big Horn Basin RC&D Council. Thursday, August 8, is designed for children with special needs, particularly those with hearing and sight impairments, according to Colleen Hanson, physician assistant, Thermopolis. Hanson’s son, James Hanson, who is the first deaf person to qualify for the Olympics in wrestling, will be special guest-aide that day. Friday, August 8, the day-camp is designed for middle school students ages 10-14. “There are lots of hands-on activities, and Wyoming Audubon programs meet state educational standards,” said Jacelyn Downey. Activities include team-building, wildlife, birds and bird-watching, wild animals, the geology of the hot springs, water and conservation, cloud-watching, the role of the bison on the prairie, and outdoor safety. Astronomy star-watch programs will be held both Thursday and Friday evenings, and are open to the public. A hike on the state park’s newest trail, Spirit Trail, will be held Saturday, starting at 9 a.m. The hike – about 2½ miles counting up and back - is also open to the public. “A lot of adults here take the outdoors for granted,” said Eric Decker. “We don’t realize that our younger generation doesn’t feel the same way because they have different distractions. Our kids spend 30 minutes a week outdoors in unstructured activities. They have little feeling for nature and the conservation issues that have become critical.” Decker cited a study by the Nature Conservancy which shows that outdoor play and nature experience help with learning skills, reduce symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder, and improve self-discipline and emotional well-being. “Kids learn a lot more than just science when they’re involved in outdoor activities – they improve their ability to work as part of a team, to think and reason; they become more aware of the relationships of humans to the natural world and how we affect that world.” Cost of each day-camp is $25, including lunch. For more information, registration forms and other details, see www.hsglf.org, or contact Jacelyn Downey, 307-756-3941.

Thanks to our sponsors and supporters Audubon Wyoming Big Horn Basin Resource Conservation & Development Council Central Wyoming College Hot Springs Conservation District Hot Springs State Park National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (Riverton office) U.S. Department of Agriculture – U.S. Forest Service With special thanks to Brunton, Inc., Riverton, for help with educational kits and equipment.